In a move that provoked the religious sentiments of millions of Orthodox Christians across the world, Turkish authorities allowed the recitation of the Quran in the Hagia Sophia, in Constantinople, Monday. As Turkish media report, the Quran will be recited as part of the morning prayer (sahur) and is titled ‘Hagia Sophia-Time of Blessing’ during the 30-day period the month of Ramadan lasts. A video released shows the interior of the building while an Imam can be heard chanting. The historic site is on the UNESCO world heritage list and was a Christian Church for nearly a 1,000 years, before being converted into a mosque after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman empire in 1453. It was made into a museum in 1935.

The Greek government has not responded so far to the provocation, which violates mutual respect for religious symbols. Greek opposition party New Democracy issued a statement criticising the Greek government for its silence on the issue, while it also criticised the Turkish authorities for disrespecting the symbol of Orthodox Christianity and essentially turning the historic site into mosque.